Myron Wasylyk

Myron Wasylyk is senior vice president and managing director of The PBN Company, a public relations firm headquartered in Washington, DC that has extensive interests in Ukraine.

The company handles public relations for Victor Yushchenko, the western-leaning candidate in Ukraine's disputed presidential elections in 2004. Wasylyk has been quoted in the press as a spokesman for Yushchenko [1].

Biography

The profile of Myron Wasylyk on PBN's website [2] offers the following brief biography:

• 1984: Graduated from Kent State University in Ohio.
• Before 1997: worked for the US Departments of State and the Interior, the Republican National Committee, Burson-Marsteller, and Gavin Anderson & Company.
• 1997: joined PBN as a Senior Project Manager for the Ukraine Market Reform Education Program managed by the firm on behalf of the US Agency for International Development and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
• 1998: "opened The PBN Company’s representative office in Kyiv, where he currently oversees a staff of 16 professionals and numerous special consultants working in Ukraine and Moldova. He manages client services, strategic planning and government relations and works extensively with Ukraine’s presidential, governmental and legislative leaders."

The profile also states that Wasylyk is involved in the following public roles:

• "involved in a number of civic, not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations."
• Chairman of the Board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine (AmCham).
• The Ukraine Representative of the Coalition for Intellectual Property (CIPR).
• A member of the Supervisory Board of the Eurasian Foundation in Ukraine.
• A member of the Supervisory Board of the International Center for Policy Studies (ICPS).

Quotes by Wasylyk about the Ukrainian election crisis of 2004

• November 25, The Washington Times: "'Moscow knowingly engaged its advisers in the Ukrainian election and were cognizant of the potential conflicts that could occur on the ground if massive election fraud occurred,' said Myron Wasylyk, an international adviser with experience working in Moscow, Kiev and Washington." [3]
• November 26, The Moscow Times: "Myron Wasylyk, a spokesman for Yushchenko's political bloc, confirmed Thursday that the opposition candidate received the tapes from law enforcement officials." [4]
• December 2, Bloomberg: "Yushchenko rejects starting the election from scratch and wants a rerun of the second round, said Myron Wasylyk, an aide to Yushchenko." [5]
• December 2, BBC News: "'Viktor Yushchenko does not want to win another election,' said opposition spokesman Myron Wasylyk. He added that Mr Kuchma's team had made indirect approaches to discuss a possible immunity deal, but had been rebuffed. 'To do a deal you need two sides,' he said. 'Yushchenko will not cut a deal.'" [6]
• December 3, Reuters: "'It's a great result. It opens up the way to a resolution of the political crisis,' said opposition analyst Myron Wasylyk." [7]

SourceWatch resources

• Tak! Yushchenko (Tak! Ющенко)
• The PBN Company
• Ukraine
• Viktor Yushchenko (Віктор Ющенко)

External links

• 'Meet our staff' - profile of Myron Wasylyk on PBN's website. Undated, accessed December 5, 2004.

Articles

• Natalia Feduschak, "Disputed vote pushes Ukraine toward strife", The Washington Times, November 25, 2004.
• Simon Saradzhyan, "Alleged Tapes of Vote-Rigging", The Moscow Times, November 26, 2004.
• Halia Pavliva and Julian Nundy, "Ukraine Deputies Debate PM; Court to Rule on Election", Bloomberg, December 2, 2004.
• Stephen Mulvey, "Kuchma scrambles to secure future", BBC News, December 2, 2004.
• Richard Balmforth, "Kiev Parties as Court Orders Re-Run of Rigged Poll", Reuters, December 3, 2004.